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Family favorites: Casserole and cake recipes stand the test of time

By Adriana Janovich adrianaj@spokesman.com(509) 459-5446

Joyce Reynolds of Spokane has been making these two recipes for five decades.

My Private Eggplant Casserole

From Joyce Reynolds of Spokane

“I have a lot of cookbooks and have read a lot of cookbooks. And never have I come across this casserole. I may have missed it, but I don’t think so,” she said.

“This recipe came from my mother-in-law Gladys Bird. At the time, they were living in Dumas, Texas, in 1965.”

The casserole pairs “well with sliced ham, hot rolls with butter, and a good green garden salad.”

1 medium to large healthy eggplant, peeled and diced

1 large nice green pepper, diced

1 stick butter

2 eggs

2 slices bread, torn into pieces

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 block of Velveeta cheese, diced

1 (4-ounce) jar of red pimientos, drained

1 small jar mushrooms

Parboil eggplant for about 3-4 minutes in salted water. Drain and set aside to cool. Saute pepper in butter, then set aside to cool. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Add bread to egg mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add Velveeta, pimientos and mushrooms to egg mixture. Toss mixture, then add eggplant and green pepper and toss altogether. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 40 minutes or until bubbly.

Poppy Seed Cake

From Joyce Reynolds of Spokane

For the cake

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1/4 cup milk

6 eggs, separated

1 cup Crisco

3 cups sugar

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon almond

1 teaspoon lemon

1/4 teaspoon soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups flour

For the frosting

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons orange marmalade

1 teaspoon butter flavoring

1 teaspoon orange flavoring

For the cake: Place poppy seeds in milk. Cream egg yolks and Crisco, and add sugar. Mix well. Add poppy seed mixture and buttermilk. Add butter, almond extract, lemon extract, soda, salt and flour. Mix well. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold in. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350 degrees in an angel food cake pan.

For the frosting: Combine all ingredients and cook in a saucepan over medium heat until just boiling. Pour over cooled cake after it is removed from the cake pan.